counterweight
nounUK /ˈkaʊntəweɪt/
US /ˈkaʊntərweɪt/
A counterweight is a heavy thing that balances another thing so it does not fall.
The crane used a big block of concrete as a counterweight.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Something that balances or offsets an opposing force or influence.
The new safety rules act as a counterweight to risky behavior.
3. A weight used in a mechanism, such as an elevator, to make movement easier.
The elevator's counterweight moves down as the car goes up.
4. To balance something with an equal weight or force.
They counterweighted the seesaw with sandbags.